Cameroonian forward Junior Herman Kameni struck twice as Rayon Sports battled to a 2-1 victory over Marines FC in a BK Pro League encounter at Umuganda Stadium on Sunday, handing the Blues their second league win of the campaign.
Kameni proved to be the difference between the two sides, scoring once in each half to earn Rayon Sports three valuable points in a fiercely contested encounter.
Rayon Sports made a lively start and broke the deadlock in the 14th minute when Kameni capitalised on a costly goalkeeping error by Marines goalkeeper Bonheur Kabera, who failed to deal with the ball inside the penalty area, allowing the Cameroonian to fire the visitors into the lead.
Marines responded positively to falling behind and restored parity in the 26th minute through Ramadhan Niyibizi, whose finish brought the home side back into the contest and sent both teams into the break level at 1-1.
The second half continued in the same competitive fashion, with both sides pushing forward in search of a breakthrough. However, it was Rayon Sports who eventually found the decisive goal.
In the 71st minute, Kameni completed his brace, finishing off a well-constructed attacking move after connecting with a pass from Vincent Nshimyumuremyi, who had come on following an injury to Kabera.
The goal put Rayon Sports back in front and left Marines with the task of chasing the game in the closing stages.
The hosts threw men forward in search of another equalizer, but the Blues remained disciplined at the back to protect their advantage and see out an important away victory.
Kameni’s two-goal contribution earned him the Man of the Match award, capping a memorable afternoon for the Cameroonian forward, who delivered when his team needed him most.
The encounter was played at a high tempo, with both teams combining for 28 shots, including 13 on target. Rayon Sports registered eight efforts on target against Marines’ five. The match also produced 23 fouls, with Rayon committing 15 and the hosts eight.
The victory takes Rayon Sports to seven points and seventh place in the league standings, although the Kigali-based outfit have played fewer matches than several of their rivals because of earlier scheduling commitments.
For the Blues, the result offers a welcome boost as they look to build momentum and establish greater consistency in the opening stages of the season.
Marines, meanwhile, will rue their inability to turn a spirited performance into points. Despite recovering from the early setback through Niyibizi, they were unable to find a response after Kameni’s second-half winner.
Niyibizi’s goal was nevertheless significant on an individual level, taking his season tally to five and placing him at the top of the league’s scoring charts.
Police FC's winless run ends
Elsewhere on Sunday, Police FC registered a narrow 1-0 victory over Bugesera FC, with Christian Ingabire scoring the decisive goal in the 72nd minute.
Ingabire found the net after being set up by Leonard Gakwaya, giving Police a much-needed victory as they sought to recover from a difficult run of results in the BK Pro League.
In the other fixture, Gicumbi FC and Sunrise FC settled for a goalless draw in a closely fought encounter.
The match’s major talking point was the dismissal of Jean Petit Nzeyimana, whose red card left his side facing the closing stages with a numerical disadvantage.
The three Sunday fixtures produced contrasting outcomes, with Rayon Sports and Police FC collecting maximum points while Gicumbi and Sunrise shared the spoils.